Baby, Baby
by Rayniekinnz
Summary: "…and you're sure?" he asked weakly. The Mediwizard smiled and nodded, holding out the folder for him to see. "You're in your second Trimester – sixteen weeks, more or less. You should start showing soon and in a few weeks we could probably even look to see what the sex is." LM/HP. Slash. MPreg. COMPLETE.
1. Part I

**Summary: **"…and you're sure?" he asked weakly. The Mediwizard smiled and nodded, holding out the folder for him to see. "You're in your second Trimester – sixteen weeks, more or less. You should start showing soon and in a few weeks we could probably even look to see what the sex is."  
**Pairings: **Lucius/Harry. Remus/Draco/Sirius.  
**Category: **Romance/Drama  
**Warnings: **Slash. MPreg. AU/AR. OOC.

**A/N: **  
**Idek. Timing and pacing may be a bit wierd - first attempt at a story like this. Very cliche, but I thought it was cute. ****Complete. Will post whenever the fuck I want because apparently weekly is too boring for me c:**

**Edit: Five parts and an epilogue because 4 was too long.**

* * *

**PART 1/5**

"…and you're sure?" he asked weakly.

The Mediwizard smiled and nodded, holding out the folder for him to see. "You're in your second Trimester – sixteen weeks, more or less. You should start showing soon and in a few weeks we could probably even look to see what the sex is."

There was a short silence in which Harry merely stared at the man, expression blank as his mind tried desperately to just _understand_. It wasn't that he was unhappy – it was amazing and something like a miracle, but he didn't quite know how to feel. After a moment he inclined his head in agreement to whatever Jenkins had said.

"I'm…um, I'm going to go home now…" he said quietly, pulling his robes back on and pushing off the examining table.

Mediwizard Jenkins gave him a pitying smile. "Thank you for coming, Mr Potter. Take these pamphlets, alright? I'll be sure to forward your name to Healer Gretchen."

He barely looked at the pamphlets, stuffing them in a random pocket and hurrying out of the examining room. He just wanted to go home and sleep.

* * *

A week later and Harry was still dazed.

He had accepted the news – he had woken up the first night, rushed to the bathroom and just stared at his stomach for a small eternity, poking it and cooing in a completely ridiculous manner – but it still felt like some kind of dream. He was happy, happier than he would think possible and yet...cautious. Like he'd wake at any moment and find out wizards really _couldn't_ get pregnant, no matter how powerful they were or the potions they took.

And then there was the fact that he had yet to tell anyone.

Normally, he wouldn't have been able to hide it. Lucius was observant in a way he was more than likely to be embarrassed by and suddenly locking the bathroom door when he'd only ever closed it before would immediately alert him to a change. There was also sneaking the pamphlets from his sock drawer and how he was suddenly afraid to do anything remotely dangerous – like going shopping. Who knew when he'd be accosted by the _Prophet_ next?

Luckily for him, however, Lucius was away on business. It was lonely being in the Manor with only himself and the elves for company, but it gave him time to think and just _feel_ instead of pasting on a smile and pretending everything was fine and dandy.

He had seen some friends since his appointment and he had nearly spilled everything to Luna, but he had known instantly it wouldn't be right until his closest, most special people knew – meaning his lover, godfather, Remus and Draco; as much as the git annoyed him sometimes, it _would_ be his little brother or sister. Luna had seemed to know, anyway, in that strange way of hers.

He had had a week to think about it, and he decided he wanted to tell someone—someone he knew would be rational and understanding.

Moony.

He was, after all, the whole reason Harry went to St. Mungos to begin with. He had been feeling ill for weeks, throwing up and fatigued and moody as all hell. Remus had finally put his foot down and demanded he go see a doctor and be done with it – colds could develop into horrible diseases and Moony was paranoid about him dropping dead; something to do with his mother-hen instincts, Sirius would laugh. Hermione had offered to go with him, but he had waved off her concern, expecting nothing more than the flu even though he hadn't had a fever or a runny nose.

As horrible as it sounded, he was glad he had gone on his own. Hermione was a great friend and very loyal, but she wouldn't have been able to let it go and would have alerted the whole bloody neighbourhood about his 'condition' in her excitement—or horror. He still wasn't too sure about her knowledge on any kind of pregnancy and was trying to stay positive, but when he was moping in bed unable to sleep at 3AM without Lucius breathing on his neck, he started thinking about horrible scenarios.

It only strengthened his resolve to start with Moony.

* * *

"Harry?"

Jolting from his doze, Harry looked around blearily, frowning sleepily when he saw Remus hovering in the doorway. It clicked a second later and he groaned, glancing at the digital clock on his nightstand – Lucius had complained mercilessly when he first brought it into their bedroom, but he had managed to shut the prissy blonde up with—er, 'compensation'. "Sorry, I fell asleep."

"Missy let me in, said you weren't feeling well and that I should go on through," the werewolf explained, looking slightly uncomfortable. Sitting timidly on the edge of the king-sized bed, he lay his hand gently on a covered foot. "I thought you went to the hospital? Aren't you feeling better yet?"

"I—I'm fine," he said slowly, swallowing thickly. It was partly true – he wasn't sick, per se, just suffering some morning sickness and general ickiness. He had gotten out of bed with a headache and got straight back in after throwing up breakfast and anything else his body could surrender.

Remus frowned at him, lips thinning in displeasure. "Harry."

He slumped against the headboard, picking at the quilt Missy must have laid over him at some point in the early afternoon. "I'm—fine, really, Moony," he said quietly. "It's just…these symptoms probably won't go away for a while."

"What's going on?" Remus demanded, looking slightly panicked. "What did they say?"

Licking his lips, Harry refused to meet his eyes. Mr Jenkins and the pamphlets assured him male pregnancies weren't anomalies, but he still felt absolutely horrified talking about it. Unsure how to begin, he tried a blunter path. "Moony…you know Lucius and I have been together for a while now…"

"…he hasn't given you some disease, has he?"

"No!"

"Okay," Moony soothed. "It's just…Harry, you're scaring me."

"Look…it's just...we…—!" he huffed in frustration, bringing his hands to his face. "_We stopped using contraception!_"

Silence.

Harry bit his lip, terrified to look up when Remus hadn't said anything for at least five minutes. Peeking between his fingers, he was met with an absolutely stunned expression. Not disgusted or angry, merely _very_ surprised.

"Oh…" Remus finally choked out. "You're…pregnant?"

"Nearly four months," he whispered.

There was another small silence before he was suddenly in Remus' arms. "That's great, cub!" he laughed, squeezing him gently. "When did you find out?"

"Last week," he said dimly, feeling giddy all of a sudden. He smiled into Moony's chest. "It feels good to tell someone…"

"You mean I'm the first to know?"

Harry flushed red, pulling away. "Yeah…I mean, I'm still trying to figure everything out myself…"

"You _are_ planning to tell Lucius and the others, right?" Remus frowned. "He'll be back soon, too."

"Tomorrow," he muttered distractedly. "I _will_ tell him…I just, need to figure out how."

"And the others? Padfoot and Draco and your friends?"

He sighed, fidgeting. "I'll come over and talk to Padfoot and Malfoy sometime in the week."

"Harry…you don't have to do it now, but it sounds like you'd rather jump off a cliff than tell them."

"The cliff would be so much easier…Don't look at me like that, Moony! I'm not suicidal! I'm just…I'm having a _baby_! _We're_ having a baby."

"Are you not happy about it?" Remus asked quietly. "It's okay to feel that way, Harry. You're still very young and you've probably not even spoken about children with Lucius."

"Nineteen isn't _that_ young…" he said feebly. "I'm happy…it's just a lot to take in? I want a baby – I've always wanted at least three children, but now that's its actually happening…and I don't know how Lucius will react! He told me once he'd considered having more children with Narcissa, but that means what exactly?"

"…that he wanted more children?"

"I—…don't know. Maybe."

Remus wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for another hug. "Harry…what are you worried about? Is it about how everyone will react?"

"I don't know…" he said flatly, cheek pressed into a firm chest. "…what if Lucius doesn't like it—us?"

"Harry…I'm not saying this is the truth and I don't want to jump to conclusions, but don't you think Lucius would have insisted on contraception if he didn't want more children?"

"…what? You think…he _intended_ to get me p-pregnant?"

"Maybe, maybe not. He's a smart, traditional Pure-blood, Harry. He must have known there was a chance of you getting pregnant and if he took the risk, then he must not mind—or he's an ignorant arsehole. But I personally think the first is more likely."

"Why didn't he _tell_ me, then?!" Harry fumed, pushing away from Remus, expression furious. "That _bastard_! Playing Fate!"

"Harry! Calm down!" Remus insisted sharply, grabbing him by the forearms. "Listen to me. Maybe he thought you knew and by getting rid of the contraception you were giving your permission. He's a _Slytherin_, Harry. If he had asked you out-right and you had said no, how do you think that would have gone?"

"Still!" Harry hissed. "He shouldn't just _assume_ things. He should have put that bloody Slytherin-ness to use before deciding that letting him cum in my arse must obviously mean I want to be up the duff!"

Remus was silent and Harry frowned him, annoyed, before his words settled in his head and flushed bright red, looking away.

At least one thing was for certain now – he wouldn't mind telling Lucius he was pregnant and then maybe demanding he sleep on the couch for the duration of the pregnancy.

Bastard.

* * *

Grumbling to himself, Harry shuffled through the dim, moon-lit halls. It was late – or early, really, but he couldn't sleep and had taken to wandering the Manor or sitting in the cool night air. Currently he was heading for the gardens, fluffy quilt around his shoulders and trailing along the floor, most likely gathering dust bunnies.

He stumbled back, heart thumping erratically when Missy popped up before him. Clutching his chest, he scowled irritably at the nervous looking elf. "What!"

She flinched, tugging on her ears. "M-Master mustn't go outside! Is cold! Missy has orders to keep Master healthy!"

He huffed a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "I'm _fine_, Missy. I won't be long."

She wanted to argue, it was obvious, but left with a reluctant warning glare as her sister, Minny, appeared to drag her back to the kitchen. Harry continued down the passage, ducking under the nearest doorway and crossing the room towards the ground-level balcony. Stepping out into the night air, he sucked in a deep breath and let it out, nose burning with the icy mist.

Dragging one of the chairs towards the half-gate, he settled on it and brought his legs loosely to his chest, blanket wrapped around his body. The moon was high in the sky, peering down at him as clouds dragged on by, sometimes stalling the light. The garden was especially beautiful, certain flowers blooming under the starry sky.

Head lolling to the side and wiggling to get comfortable, Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't sleepy, but he felt – drained. He had initially felt angry and betrayed when Remus suggested Lucius had practically planned on knocking him up, but now...there was relief. He was still bloody angry, but it gave him a sentiment of hope that everything really would be fine.

And if Lucius did freak out and act like a twat – well. He obviously didn't deserve the amazing child they had created. Because he or she was amazing, simply because they _were_.

Smiling forlornly to himself, Harry shucked a hand between his legs and chest, resting it gently on his stomach. The bump was barely visible, it could be considered nothing more than water retention, but he _knew_ what it was and that was enough for him. He'd be a blimp soon enough anyway – he'd enjoy this while it lasted.

"HONK!"

Startled, Harry nearly fell out of his chair. Flinging the blanket off and struggling with his wand, he froze, shocked, as he saw what had made the noise. A small bird stood a foot away on the grass, a slender mass of grey and shaded feathers, head turned so it's beady eye could look right at him. It stood on toothpick legs, body tilted forward aggressively.

Laughing breathlessly, Harry flopped back into his chair and studied the peachick curiously. It looked to be about a month old and a little shaky on his clawed feet. "Hello," he said softly after a moment, trying not to giggle at the lone fluffy feather sticking upright on its head.

The peachick made another strange honking noise and cantered forwards, head still tilted so his tiny beak and eye were facing him. It hopped atop the low wall, squawking at him once more before sitting down and seemingly going to sleep.

Shaking his head in sheer incredulity, Harry fixed his blanket and got comfortable again. Even the bloody peacocks were pure _Malfoy_.

* * *

"Harry…why are you holding a chicken?"

"It's not a _chicken_," he frowned, gently stroking the rebel feather atop his new friend's head. "And his name is Neelkanth. He's a peacock."

"Oh," Sirius said. Coughing slightly, he hid a disbelieving smile behind a fist. "My apologies. A _peacock_ then. Still, the question is valid."

"He doesn't have a mum so I'm looking after him," Harry said brightly, hugging Neelkanth to his chest. "Isn't he cute?"

The peachick honked in agreement, the volume startling Sirius and making him spill his tea over his leg. "Fuck!" he hissed, grabbing his wand and vanishing the stain. "Dumb bird…"

"Don't blame my baby!" Harry shouted, flinging a biscuit at his shocked godfather. "Hmph!"

"C-cub—!"

"Potter?" Draco said, poking his head around the door. "What's go—is that a peacock?"

"See!" Harry exclaimed, jabbing a finger at Sirius. "_Draco_ knows it isn't a bloody chicken! You know what? I think you're just full of shit! You think you're funny, don't you?!"

They gaped speechlessly at him, making him huff in annoyance and turn away, cuddling his peachick. Draco looked wide-eyed at Sirius, who merely shook his head with an equally 'what the fuck' expression.

"Er…Harry…where'd you get the peacock from?" Draco asked tentatively, sitting meekly beside his partner.

"The Manor," Harry replied sulkily, glaring weakly at him from across the room. "And his name is _Neelkanth_."

"Oh. Um. That's a nice name…?"

"You think so?" Harry brightened before scoffing, rolling his eyes. "Hermione thought it was _silly_."

The two Black's exchanged a look.

"You visited Ron and Hermione today?" Sirius asked, keeping his tone light as to not aggravate him.

"Mmm. Ron was out though, so it was just Hermione, Ginny and I. Ginny didn't look very impressed either, come to think of it."

Draco gave him a small smirk. "Well, _I_ think he's perfect. I didn't know the peahens were laying now."

Harry blinked. "Neither did the elves…hmm…"

Moony came in then, interrupting whatever Draco had to say in response. Shrugging off his jacket, he greeted them warmly, not even batting a lid when he saw the ugly duck pecking at the sofa cushion.

"Harry, I didn't know you were coming today – and with company."

Noting the werewolf's slightly wary look, Harry smiled and faintly shook his head. "I was just visiting with Hermione and thought I'd pop over for a bit. Oh, and this is Neelkanth. But you can call him Neel."

"Well, I'll be sure to remember to. Are you feeling better today?"

"Yup! I found some potions in Lucius drawer—"

"Whoa, what?!" Remus exclaimed. "What did you drink? Harry! You can't just take whatever looks good!"

"It's fine!" Harry rolled his eyes, flapping a hand. "It was just some Pepper Up!"

"…fine. What were you doing in Lucius' drawer anyway?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

Harry went bright red and looked away, petting Neel. "…"

"What?"

"I said, I was looking for the book he writes his plots in!"

"…Father doesn't have a 'plot' book," Draco said slowly.

"That's what he wants you to think," Harry whispered in response. "I see him, writing in a leather-bound book and then hiding it when he thinks I'm not looking!"

There was a short, tense silence before Sirius said, "Is it A4 and black?"

"Yes! Have you seen it?!"

"Harry," Sirius said, biting his lip to hold back the inappropriate laughter bubbling in his throat. "Cub. Are you not talking about the book he balances his money in?"

"…oh."

* * *

Groaning, feeling absolutely mortified, Harry stumbled through the Floo and dropped into the nearest chair; letting Neel jump to the floor and waddle off. He rubbed his face, pressing his hands to his flaming cheeks.

Mediwizard Jenkins' pamphlets had said it was alright to have Pepper Up in small doses, but it hadn't said how crazy it would make him act! He had been feeling wired and moody before taking the bloody potion and then everything was a hundred times worse. It was wearing off quickly, leaving him weary and with a bit of a headache.

Sighing, Harry stood and brushed himself off. He had used the Floo closest to his bedroom and was especially glad, considering his exhaustion and frail mood. He walked through the door and down the passage, shrugging off his robes and unbuttoning his shirt on the way. The bedroom door was open, so he kicked it shut behind him and dropped his trousers, leaving his clothes in a heap on the floor.

He didn't actively acknowledge the stylised trunk sitting at the foot of the bed, heading for the open closet and pulling the nearest pair of pyjamas off the shelf – incidentally, Lucius'. There were a bit long and they fell low on his hips, but they smelt nice and they were soft against his skin.

Obviously, this was what you had to look for in sleep-clothes.

He was already in bed, cuddled underneath the covers and eyes half-mast, when he finally noticed the blonde looming in the bathroom doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow quirked.

"Bit early for bed, no?"

"Lucius!" he cried, bolting upright and swinging his legs over the side of the mattress, vaguely aware he had settled on his lover's side. "You're home," he finished feebly, feeling suddenly very fragile.

Lucius seemed to notice his strange mood, straightening and coming to sit beside him. Cupping his cheek, he brought their mouths together for a brief kiss before pulling back and searching his eyes, expression wary. "What is it? Has Draco upset you again?"

"No," he smiled weakly. "It's…nothing. Come here." Looping his arms around broad shoulders, Harry pulled him until their chests were flush together and caught his lips in another kiss, this time longer and more sensual.

Lucius wrapped an arm around his waist, using his free hand to loosen his boots and pull them off before climbing fully onto the bed, hovering over him. Grey eyes appraised his expression for what felt like a small eternity, taking in his pale complexion and larger-than-normal eyes. He wanted to ask, but let it go and leant down to continue their first real kiss in a month.

Harry felt a tiny flutter in his belly and gasped, clenching a hand in corn-silk hair. Baby had missed him too.

* * *

Staring into the relaxed sleeping face of his lover, Harry contemplated their life together.

They had known each-other since his second year at Hogwarts, but their relationship only really took off in fifth year when Lucius filled in for the rest of the year after Umbridge was fired and sentenced to Azkaban for using the Blood-quill on him and a few other students. Like everyone else he had been wary and partially disgusted, but he had been surprised at the professionalism shown and grew ever-curious about the Malfoy patriarch. A minor obsession stemmed from the knowledge that perhaps everything wasn't as it seemed, but it was cut off and stomped on rather viciously when the year ended and he resumed his duties as Governor. Harry had seen him after that, of course, but they never spoke and the flame he held for him dwindled – never dying, but cooler than he liked.

It was just his luck Lucius would encounter him in Knockturn Alley, the summer of 1997, when he had tried to Floo drunk. He had been more than a little out of it and practically glued himself to the Lord, leading to Lucius sobering him up and dropping him off at the Burrow much to Arthur's astonishment. He had been mortified the next morning, but couldn't help but be a little happy he'd gotten to spend time with his…'crush'.

Everything seemed to go from there and they kept meeting, sometimes purposely and sometimes sheer coincidence. They were somewhat 'friends', although many newspapers and magazines liked to think up nasty stories about Lucius blackmailing him into a relationship or that he was whoring himself out. They tried not to speak about the gossip as a rule, but he supposed without it they wouldn't have gotten together in the way they had – discussing a particularly nasty article, as it happened.

When they had actually become a couple everyone and their dog had been absolutely stumped, many of his friends claiming he had gone batty. Draco had been particularly horrified, but had taken it surprisingly well – perhaps the best, next to the ever-supportive Remus and unflappable Luna. They had drawn up a truce of sorts, although he supposed Draco had merely realised his situation could be considered much worse and was probably relieved to have someone to confide in. He had, after all, starting wooing his second-cousin and said cousin's best friend not months later.

His friends and a heartbroken Ginny got over themselves however and their relationship bloomed, though many claimed they would never last. The law even tried to get involved, though Harry was quite happy to report they hadn't gotten far before backing off. He was legal when Lucius officially asked him for an intimate relationship – a calculated move, he was sure – and so they had no footing.

Two and a half years later and they were living together full-time with a baby on the way.

Harry rolled over, careful not to wake Lucius as he inched backwards until his back was to his chest. Carefully lifting Lucius' left arm from the duvet, he slung it over his waist and placed the cool hand underneath his shirt, palm flat against his first-glance flat stomach.

He drifted off to the soft, tickling breaths on his neck.

**PART I/END**


	2. Part II

**PART 2/5**

Harry wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, turning the lights off as he half-closed the bathroom door on his way out. He could still taste it in the back of his throat, but after brushing twice and even using Lucius' mouthwash, there was little he could do.

Stumbling across the dim room, he felt for the duvet and crawled inside; snuggling up to his lover and uncaring if he awoke or not. He threw an arm around his ribs and entwined their legs, huffing softly as he buried his face in his neck. There was a cuddlepost available and for his pleasure and he would bloody well use it.

"What time is it?" Lucius asked huskily, reinforcing his suspicion that he'd been heard retching up his guts.

"Five something," Harry mumbled sleepily. "Do you have to go to the Ministry today?"

"Mm. Afternoon."

"Bastard," he groused, fumbling for a moment before pinching Lucius' left nipple. He hissed, batting his hand away and rubbing it for a second before grabbing his hand and entwining their fingers.

"Only for a few hours. Aren't you also going out today?"

Harry tensed before he could help it, forcing himself to relax. He had an ultrasound with Healer Gretchen at noon, though he had told Lucius he was visiting with Moony. He had considered taking him and letting that be the big reveal, but felt that would be too impersonal.

And of course that thought reminded him they had yet to do anything…_fun_, other than cuddling and a few make-out sessions since Lucius came home. With that lovely thought in mind, he felt his cock twitch in interest.

"Luc?"

"Hmm?" Lucius replied, sounding seconds away from sleep.

"I missed you."

Silence.

Harry, disappointed, was about to huff and declare couch-season 'Open' when Lucius suddenly rolled over, straddling his hips. Eyes wide and breath hitching in his throat, Harry moaned softly as he spied the rakish smirk on his lover's face.

* * *

"Breakfast?" Lucius offered, two trays floating after him. The first landed on Harry's nightstand, pumpkin juice teetering before righting itself.

"Thanks," he smiled tiredly, sitting up against the headboard and pulling the tray onto his lap. Buttering a slice of toast, he hummed contently when Lucius stole a quick kiss before readying his own meal.

The Daily Prophet hovered between them as the business section was perused, but Harry wasn't all that interested. Sunlight filtered through the windows, warming his legs and lighting their bedroom comfortably. It was still early, only seven or so, but they were both wide-awake after their 'activities' and had enjoyed a relaxing shower followed by a laze in the bed.

Now, eating breakfast and just being together, Harry was feeling rather cheerful – in a watered-down kind of way though, he was still pregnant and feeling the distant buzz of his morning sickness. Lucius hadn't commented on it, asking briefly but concernedly if he had been to see a physician, thankfully letting it go after a vague excuse. They both had their secrets and Lucius wasn't about to push.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?" he replied, mouth full of sugary oatmeal.

"What do you think of marriage?"

He choked.

Lucius continued, apparently oblivious to his reaction. "Draco wrote to me about having a ceremony and I started thinking about something similar for us. Of course marriage is a big commitment and something we should discuss extensively before deciding, but I thought it'd be nice. What about you?"

He could only gape, heart thumping loudly and breakfast forgotten. Did the bastard _know_?

Lucius glanced up when he was met with silence, giving him a curious look. "Harry?"

He glanced down at his oatmeal, thinking. Whether Lucius was fishing for information or not, marriage _was_ something they should start to think about. "Um…I…yes."

"Yes?"

Scowling at the teasing tone, he rolled his eyes and popped a strawberry into his mouth. "I'd like to do that…maybe not now, but sometime." Glancing suspiciously from the corner of his eye, he caught his lover's pleased smile. He didn't see anything to be worried about…

"And of course we'd have to go away for our honeymoon."

"Really?" he asked, perking up. "Where?"

Smiling, Lucius put his empty tray aside and folded up the newspaper. "Wherever you like. France, Brazil, the Caribbean, South Africa, Japan, Spain?"

Harry felt himself getting excited at the prospect of travelling. He'd never been out of Britain and he was sure any of the places Lucius suggested would be remarkable and thrilling. Grinning, he pecked Lucius on the cheek. "I wouldn't know where to start."

"You could just close your eyes and point to a random place."

"Rich bastard! You could probably—"

"Harry? What's wrong?"

Clutching his stomach, Harry shook his head silently, eyes wide. He had read the baby could be startled by loud or sudden sounds, but he hadn't really taken it in. Now, he had felt a firm jerk in his stomach; nothing like the little flutters before.

"Nothing's wrong," he finally managed, smiling weakly when Lucius frowned doubtfully at him. "No, everything's great."

_This is real._

* * *

"Marriage?" Remus asked curiously. "What did he say?"

"Just that it was something he wanted to do. We talked about it a little," Harry said, glancing around the hall. Smiling widely, he nudged Moony in the side. "I felt Baby move again. It's almost always when Lucius is around, actually."

"Really? That's…"

"Ominous?" he wiggled his eyebrows. "I think it's cute."

"Mr Potter?"

"Healer Gretchen?" he blinked, standing. A stern-looking witch had opened the office they were directed to, tall and skinny with auburn hair and large wire-frame glasses. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she said, shaking his hand firmly. "Please come inside – Mr Lupin, was it? I'll ask you to sit in the corner for now. The machinery we have doesn't react well to too much magic in one place."

"Right," Remus said, taking the allocated seat by the window. He spied the muggle-like machine and glanced over it curiously.

"How have you been feeling, Mr Potter?" Gretchen asked, looking over the files she had. "Mr Jenkins mentioned you were having horrible morning sickness?"

"Yeah – it's been okay, probably better than before. I'm still tiring easily though."

"That's to be expected. We should discuss your diet and weight-gain first and foremost, I think…"

An hour later Harry was walking on clouds. His baby was healthy, growing at a proportionate rate and he had the pictures to prove it. Cradled in an envelope in his pocket were the ultrasound photos, showing off Baby in all of his/her fruit-sized glory.

He decided quite quickly Lucius would go with him to his next appointment and they would find out the gender together. He was secretly hoping for a boy, but he knew he would love Baby if they turned out to be a tortoise – it honestly didn't matter.

"Happy?" Moony grinned, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Ecstatic!" he admitted. "This is so exciting!"

And it was. They were having a baby, Lucius and him. A living, breathing, growing baby who would blossom under their love and attention. Baby would learn to talk and walk, make friends and go to school, learn to be a Witch or Wizard and fall in love, get married and have their own children – or, have children and _then_ get married, who knew?

"It certainly is, cub," Remus nodded. "Still scared about telling everyone?"

"No way! If they can't accept it – well. We'll just have to put that Marauder work to business."

"Pranking everyone into submission?"

"Of course!" he chortled. "I already know Padfoot will be on my side and he'd be more than happy to help."

"I'm really happy for you, cub," Remus smiled softly.

"Thanks, Remy," he whispered back.

* * *

Brushing soot from his clothes, Harry hummed to himself as he headed for the bedroom. He had a noticeable spring in his step and a permanent grin on his face, envelope pressing into his thigh. He scooped Neel up on the way, cuddling his feathery friend and cooing to him. Lucius had been surprisingly understanding about the situation – well, more like he didn't say anything and only glared a little bit when the peacock made too much noise.

Pushing the bedroom door open, he was met with the sight of clothes and possessions being hovered into a stylised trunk. Brows drawing together, Harry looked around the room. "Lucius? What's going on?"

A blonde head poked out of the bathroom, arms laden with toiletries. "Harry, have you seen my mouthwash?"

"It's in the cabinet," he said numbly. "What's going on? Where are you going?"

"Those Ministry idiots want me to go back to China and fix some issue in another district," Lucius said irritably, dropping everything onto the bed and sorting them into piles. "They cocked up _again_."

_What? _

"But you just got back!" he argued, feeling his stomach drop. "You're on leave!"

"Harry—"

"Don't 'Harry' me! Lucius – this is supposed to be _our_ time! How long do they expect you to go for? Another month? Two?"

"Only a week, maybe more."

"And what about my birthday?" he shouted. "Lucius!"

Lucius sighed, rubbing his forehead. "There's nothing I can do about it, love."

"How about saying 'go fuck yourself'?!" Harry yelled, not waiting for an answer before spinning on his heel and stomping from the room, slamming the door.

He dropped Neel on a chair, ignoring his squawking and storming through the hall. He rounded a corner, pressing his back against the wall and counting to ten; listening. He waited for the familiar squeak of their door, feeling his heart quicken and tears welling as the minutes passed.

Lucius never came.

* * *

"Harry…I know you're in there…"

"Go away…" he moaned, dragging the duvet over his head. He wanted to be alone with his misery.

"Harry! If you don't open this door, I'll—!"

"It _is_ open, fuckwit!" he screamed, groaning a second later when his head throbbed in response. He had a migraine and his stomach was churning, protesting at every movement.

There was silence before the door creaked open and Draco peered inside, taking in the belongings flung in every direction and the dim atmosphere. He shuffled inside, looking as if he expected to be physically removed from the room.

"Your father's an arse," Harry croaked, ripping a tissue from the box near his head and clumsily wiping his nose. "And so are _you_, forcing your presence on me!"

"Harry," Draco sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You know he wouldn't go if it wasn't important."

"And what? _I'm_ not important?!"

"Potter! Don't be such a brat! Merlin, with the way you're blubbering over this I'd think you were pregnant!"

Silence.

"…oh my god."

"Out!" he yelled, hurling the tissue box at the gaping blonde. "_Out_! Get out! I swear, I'll kick your arse!"

"Harry! You can't just not expect me to—!"

"I didn't say anything! I'm _not_—oh, fuck you! I can't even say it, I'd hate myself…"

"Does he know? Is that why you're so upset?"

"No!" he hissed, "I'm bloody upset because he's an inconsiderate tosser who buggers off to Asian countries without even a day's notice! He didn't even say goodbye, the bastard!"

"…well, you _did_ storm out on him."

"DRACO!"

"It's true!" the blonde insisted. Heaving a sigh, he shook his head incredulously. "Pregnant. Bloody hell mate – when did you find out?"

"Couple weeks ago," he mumbled, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "And don't go telling anyone, now!"

"I won't," Draco frowned, hurt. "Who else knows?"

Harry sniffled, curling back up under the blanket. "Just Remus…T'was where he was yesterday – at my appointment, with me."

"How did it go?" Draco asked curiously. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No, I wanted to find out with your bastard of a father. And it went fine, thanks for asking. We got pictures."

"Really? Can I see?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm trying to be mad and you're making me feel better, you arsehole!" Harry growled, hugging his pillow. "Go away and let me sulk."

"Sirius said I couldn't come home until you were cheered up," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Then get in," he said, holding the blanket up. "I'm not done being miserable yet."

Draco stared at him in disbelief before shaking his head and kicking off his shoes, slipping under the duvet a moment later.

Harry grumbled to himself, cuddling up to the blonde and ignoring his surprised protests. He relaxed soon enough and they lay in a semi-comfortable silence. Harry was drifting into a fragile slumber when a disturbed Draco broke through his sleep-fog.

"Do I even want to know why there is a mirror on the ceiling?"

* * *

Nibbling on some fruit, Harry lay against Remus' side, legs pulled up to his chest and blanket draped over them both. Sirius was on his other side, hand resting on his knee with Draco curled up on his lap in a decidedly child-like pose. The fire roared in front of them, chasing off the cold that plagued the morning. Rain pelted against the windows.

"Well, this is depressing," Sirius announced.

Draco rolled his eyes, pinching his arm. "You think white paint is depressing. No-one cares about your opinion."

Harry cracked a smile, putting his breakfast plate on the coffee-table before them. "Thanks for coming over, Siri. Even if it is depressing."

"Nonsense, cub! You're not depressing, it's this museum you live in. Do you know what would liven it up a bit? A—"

"We're not getting a telly, Sirius. Lucius would have an aneurism."

"I agree," Draco chirped, elbowing his cuddlepost. "Grandfather would be rolling in his grave."

"I remember him," Sirius said suspiciously. "Prickly old fart. It's a miracle Malibu Stacy didn't turn out like that."

Snorting, Harry nearly choked on the grape in his mouth. He coughed, snickering when Draco took immediate offense on behalf of his father, smacking Sirius across the head and thumping him on the chest when he only burst into laughter. Remus slapped him on the back, trying not to laugh at the scene himself.

The flaring of the Floo interrupted their mirth and Harry glanced over his shoulder, seeing Hermione's head floating in the flames. He swallowed a groan, scrambling over the couch to answer the call.

"Hermione – hello."

"Harry," she frowned. "Can we come over?"

"Who's we?" he asked.

"Ron, Ginny and I," she replied irritably.

"…yeah, okay," he sighed, backing away as Hermione looked over her shoulder and told whoever was there to get ready.

"Should we leave?" Draco asked cautiously. "I'd rather not be here when they start on their little 'Malfoy Hate Parade'."

"It's probably best if you weren't present," Harry nodded. "You can go to your old room – just for the love of my innocence, leave the fucking for your own house, yeah?"

"That was one time!"

"One time too many!"

Remus shushed them, herding a highly amused Sirius and a mortified Draco from the room, giving him a 'what can you do?' sort of smile before the door clicked shut.

Harry went back to the couch, feeling suddenly cold without his – well, family. Sirius and Remus were like his surrogate parents and Draco was technically his step-son, but they both agreed to never speak of that. They had grown close though, in a way he had never expected.

He felt bad for dreading his friends' presence, but he had no illusions to what the visit would consist of. They claimed they had accepted he was with Lucius and they were as supportive as they possibly could be, but they took up every chance to show him their relationship couldn't work for the long run.

Hermione came through first, followed by Ginny and then Ron. She gave him a half-smile and sat across from him, while Ron flopped down in an armchair and Ginny perched herself a little aways from him.

"We heard about Lucius," Hermione said, after a short silence.

"What about him?" he said casually. He was still royally pissed, but he wasn't about to let his friends rip into Lucius like vultures either.

"Harry," Ginny said with a pitying smile. "You don't have to pretend, you know. It's alright to be mad – didn't you say you took time off work to spend time together?"

And there it was.

Sighing, he sat Indian-style on his corner of the sofa, drawing his breakfast plate back into his lap for something to focus on. "We all have jobs to do and unfortunately, his is surrounded by idiots. There isn't much he can do."

"He could have refused," Hermione insisted. "If anything, he _is_ Lord Malfoy and they couldn't have forced him to go."

He was losing interest fast. "Hermione, it's his job and it isn't his fault he was called back."

"But you don't understand! Harry, _listen_ to me. This isn't the first time—"

"No, this isn't the first time, but he's not doing it on purpose either, Hermione. Yes, I wish he had a more flexible job and it'd be great if he wasn't away at least once a month—"

"You're too close to the situation, Harry. He's always travelling and blowing off important dates! Do you really want to raise a family like that?! Harry, he left even with the baby on the way and—"

"What?" he whispered, frozen. Had he heard right?

Ron and Ginny shared a similar look of shock, the latter jumping to her feet and backing away with a desperate expression. "Harry? What does she mean, 'baby'? Harry!"

"Herm, what's going on? What are you talking about?"

Harry shook his head in disbelief, vaguely aware of Ginny and Ron freaking out. He felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over his life.

Hermione went red, pressing her lips together. Running a shaky hand through her hair, she was quick to try and explain. "I was worried about you, Harry! So I did a little research…I know you're pregnant – but Harry, why didn't you tell us?"

"Get out."

Ginny flinched at the cold voice, spinning on her heel to see Sirius in the doorway. He made an intimidating figure, expression cool and eyes alight with something they didn't recognise.

"Sirius—!"

"Ms Granger, I suggest you leave before Draco hears about what's happened here. Ronald, Ginevra, you too. _Go_."

Scrambling to their feet, they backed away, Ginny first through the Floo. Harry watched them go blankly, stuck to his seat. There was a buzzing in his ears and his stomach was twisting painfully.

"Harry."

He blinked, looking up into his godfather's face. "…Sirius?"

"Come on, cub," he sighed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him towards the door. "Moony knows how to deal with these things…"

**PART 2/END**


	3. Part III

**PART 3/5**

"You alright, cub?"

"Just shocked, I guess," he said bleakly, staring into his mug of hot-chocolate. "Didn't expect her to do that kinda thing, really…"

Remus sighed, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him in for a hug. "I'm sure she wasn't trying to be nasty, Harry. You know how Hermione gets sometimes – her heart really is in the right place, even if it doesn't seem like it."

"I know," he muttered, putting down his mug to hug Remus properly. "It's just…she just _outed_ me like that! Ron and Ginny obviously didn't know and she could've come by herself! And now what? Everyone bloody knows except the one I _really_ should have told long ago!"

"Sometimes things just happen, Harry," Moony said quietly. "Hermione shouldn't have done that, but it's over now and we can't change that. But it's not just 'outing you' that's the matter, is it?"

"…they're always doing this," Harry whispered, voice muffled by a firm chest. "Treating me like I can't make my own decisions. They say they've accepted Lucius but they're always making snide comments and…I don't know, it's all very stupid. Lucius has been as nice as possible and it's like everyone is getting along, but then as soon as he's out of the room they're trying to get me to leave him because he's too old and he followed Voldemort, or he's always flitting off to faraway lands and probably cheating on me. Merlin…!"

"Do _you_ think he's cheating on you?" Remus raised his eyebrows.

"What?! No!" Harry exclaimed, disgusted. "If there's one thing I really love about him, it's the fact that he's blatantly disinterested in every other human being on the planet. It's like he's—I don't know, _Harry-sexual_."

"'Harry-sexual'?" Moony snorted.

"It's true!" he protested, smiling reluctantly. Sighing, he sobered a moment later. "I'm getting really sick and tired of having to defend him and myself all the time from my _best friends_."

"So, don't."

"…huh?"

"Ignore them – or just tell them you're tired of having the same argument all the time. If they really can't accept your happiness, then really it's their loss, isn't it?"

Frowning, Harry could only shake his head. "I guess…"

"Sirius is wearing a hole in the floor – why don't I bring him in here and you two can talk?"

"Alright," he said, bringing his knees to his chest. Remus gave him a little smile and crossed the room to the door, speaking briefly with who he assumed was Sirius before waving and leaving to find Draco.

The door clicked shut after his godfather, leaving them well and truly alone in his bedroom. Sirius didn't look half as uncomfortable as Remus still tended to – never-mind the period where the werewolf had bunked with Harry – though there was an awkward pause where he looked for a place to sit down before giving him a look that could only be translated as 'fuck it' and snuggling in next to him. The bed was rather large, fitting Harry and Lucius with space on either sides, but they stayed curled up near the edge.

Sirius broke the silence. "So, a baby, huh?"

"I _was_ going to tell you," he said miserably. "It just…didn't work out the way I planned."

"I know, cub. But Draco, before me? _Really_?"

He laughed. "It was an accident, I swear. And he only found out yesterday. I wanted to tell you two together…"

"He's pretty excited," Sirius said thoughtfully. "Having a sibling and all. Do you know what you're going to do, yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to raise him or her together?"

Wincing at the bluntness, Harry was silent for a moment. "You know, a few days ago I would've been offended that you would even think to ask me that, but now…I _want_ Baby to have two full-time parents. I don't know if that will be possible with Lucius gone all the time."

"Don't let Hermione get to you, Harry," Sirius frowned, pulling away to look into his eyes. "Yes, he's gone a lot, but you've not let that affect your relationship until now."

"I guess…"

"And you could always ask him to stop."

"I can't do that!" Harry protested. "That's his job and he _loves_ bossing around the Ministry!"

"He can still do that without going off to other countries. Harry, you're going to have a baby together; you can't tiptoe around him because you don't want to upset him. _He's_ the bloody idiot who couldn't put on a rubber – he's the one who should be taking responsibility for _you_ and making sure you've got everything _you_ need and want to be happy."

"But—"

"Harry. Are you or are you not unhappy with him going away all the time?"

"…yes."

"Do you want a long and prosperous relationship in which you can raise your child in?"

"Yes."

"Then tell him how you feel and make a compromise if he really doesn't want to quit his job – though personally, I think he'd invest in tellies if you asked him."

"_He woul_—…you think so?"

"I _know_ so. He's completely besotted with you. It's kinda sad, really – you have him wrapped around your little finger and you don't even know."

Elbowing Sirius, he rolled his eyes, though he felt notably lighter than before.

* * *

"Harry? Harry?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled, squinting through his lethargy. Remus stood over him, holding the curtain open. "What's going on?"

"Lucius fire-called. Do you want to talk?"

"Yeah," he said, clumsily untangling himself from Sirius' embrace and sliding off the bed. "What time is it?"

"Just after five – it's midnight there, I think," Remus replied, helping him into his discarded robes and leading him out of the bedroom. They headed for Lucius' study, the halls dim and elves no-where to be seen. Draco's voice filtered out into the passage as he recounted something.

He glanced over his shoulder as they entered and gave them both a quick smile. "Harry's here – I'll put the rest down in a letter."

"Hi," Harry mumbled, nervously mussing his hair. "…I didn't think you'd call so soon."

The image was blurry – most likely from the long distance – but he saw the concerned expression immediately. "Were you sleeping already? Are you still ill, Harry?"

It was amazing how such a simple sentence could make him so happy. His mood instantly perked up, preening under Lucius' concern. He struggled to keep his expression neutral, fighting the urge to smile and give himself away. "It was just a nap – nothing to worry about," he muttered, grimacing. "How's…Hong Kong?"

"Beijing. Don't change the subject, Harry." With _that_ particular tone, it wasn't hard to hold onto his irritation and betrayal.

"I'm _fine_," Harry scowled. "Don't get all pissy with me."

There was a short silence before Lucius sighed and glanced off to the side. "Draco tells me he and the boys have been keeping you company."

He was briefly amused by 'the boys' – as if they were twenty years younger than him and not just six – but refused to smile and let the bastard know his tactic worked. "Draco came over and Remus and Sirius migrated with him – don't worry, we'll keep the wild parties to a minimum."

"Just don't let them sleep on my side," Lucius grimaced. "And keep them out of my liquor cabinet."

He waved a hand airily, though both were valid requests – unnecessary since 'his' side was Harry's when he was away and drunk Marauders were naughty Marauders, but valid. "You look…worn-out." He immediately regretted commenting on it, though he couldn't help it.

_Don't fall for it, Harry! He's probably making himself look pathetic to get back onto your good-side! Don't forget he buggered off after getting some tail!_

…well, nearly a day afterwards…but _still!_

"Hm. My colleague is convinced this is an opportune time to get absolutely smashed."

Harry winced, knowing without asking how well that turned out. He startled somewhat when Lucius suddenly caught his gaze, an unfamiliar expression lingering in his usually piercing eyes.

"Harry...I really am sorry for leaving again."

Swallowing, he forced himself to look away. Lucius hardly ever apologised for anything and it was even rarer that he actually meant it. Sighing, he felt the rest of his negative feelings melt away. He would have gotten over it eventually, anyway.

"I know," Harry mumbled, picking at a loose thread on his trousers. "But I reserve the right to be pissed about it."

"Am I forgiven?"

"Nope."

After all, a repenting Lucius was a cuddly gift-giving Lucius and Harry was always up for se—er, _pampering_.

* * *

"Are you serious?"

"No, that's Harry's godfather."

"George!"  
"I'm Fred!"

"_Whatever_. This is no time to be joking around! Harry's incubating a bloody Malfoy!"

"And?"

"…I don't know."

The twins exchanged curious expressions, leaning over the counter to peer at their little brother. They had found him sitting outside the store when they came down at five, drinking a muggle coffee and looking as if he hadn't slept a wink. They had been surprised, especially when he wanted to go somewhere private to talk. "Does mum and dad know?"

Ron snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course they do – Ginny _always_ tattles when things don't go her way. Dad doesn't seem to have an opinion, but mum nearly stormed over to Harry's."

"Mad or just hurt that he didn't tell her?" they asked warily.

"It was hard to tell. I think a bit of both."

Fred nudged his twin, pulling a face. "Ten galleons says she'll take it upon herself to lecture him."

"I won't even argue – with Sugar-Daddy gone off on another diplomat adventure, she'll not hold back. Think she'll have enough tact not to do it tomorrow?"

"On his birthday?" Ron winced. "We've got to help him."

"You in, then?" the twins asked. "We thought you'd be as upset as the others."

Flaming red, Ron scowled. "I'm not _ecstatic_, but Harry's my mate and Malfoy or not, I'm going to be an uncle."

Grinning, Fred and George couldn't help but be proud of their ickle Ronniekins. Looks like he had finally grown up.

* * *

The next time Harry was awoken, it wasn't to the news that his lover's head was in the fireplace. Slapping a hand over his mouth, he was barely at the toilet when he couldn't hold it anymore. When all that was left was stomach acid, he flushed and stood on shaky legs, stumbling his way to the sink where he brushed his teeth multiple times and washed his face.

Looking into the mirror, he grimaced at his blotchy complexion. He had swapped out his glasses for the equivalent of Wizarding contacts when he left school, so his face was…bare, really, and without that distraction it was easy to see the faults in his looks. Shaking his head, Harry left the bathroom.

Draco and Sirius were still sleeping curled up on the bed so he got dressed quietly and wandered off to find sustenance. He thought it might have been a little after seven.

Remus was having breakfast already when he wandered into the dining room, newspaper spread out over the table.

"Morning," he mumbled, flopping down at the head of the table – Lucius' seat. Frowning briefly, he noted how he took possession of his lover's things when he wasn't there to tell him off. He slept on his side, wore his clothes [though only shirts, his sleep-pants and one pair of silk boxers since he'd look ridiculous in the rest] and claimed his title as Lord Malfoy – unintentionally, of course.

"Harry," Remus looked surprised. "You're up early – I thought Lucius was the early riser."

"Baby was feeling neglected," he whinged. "This morning sickness is bullshit."

Frowning, Remus peered at him thoughtfully. "Hm. Didn't Healer Gretchen give you a potion to take?"

"Just the recipe – their potions stocker was behind. Story of my bloody life."

"You could always ask—"

"If you say 'Snape' I'll strangle you."

"I was _going_ to suggest Draco, but Severus would probably be best."

"Ugh!" Harry groaned, dropping his head onto the table. "You're probably right."

Raising his eyebrows, Remus took off his spectacles and folded up the _Prophet_. "You must be feeling pretty shite to want anything to do with Severus."

"Meh. He's not so bad now – I think he takes pleasure in the fact that dad's probably shitting bricks at my choice of lover."

"Probably. Shall I write the letter, then?"

"I'll do it," Harry sighed, smiling tiredly when Missy appeared at his side with parchment, ink and the letter from his Healer. He penned a quick note, folded it alongside the recipe and attached it the eagle-owl Minny brought it in. Hermione liked to say he was getting lazy with the elves doing everything for him, but he couldn't bring himself to care when he was feeling as he did then.

Watching Nemesis soar out the window, he smirked to himself and dug into the breakfast Remus dished up.

* * *

_Snape,_

_Make this potion. Take however much you want from my father's vault [in galleons, mum'll probably smite me from heaven if she finds out I gave away the artefacts] and we'll agree to never speak of this again._

_H. Potter_

* * *

Far away in the living room of his childhood home in Spinners End, Severus Snape raised incredulous eyebrows as he read the chicken-scratch note and saw the formula for an anti-nausea potion – the type prescribed for pregnant women.

Shooing off Lucius' overgrown pigeon, he contemplated how many galleons he'd need to start his long-overdue apothecary project and smirked evilly to himself as he went to start on the NEWTs-level potion.

Potter would regret giving him free-reign – even if it was for his silence.

* * *

"Heard from your little ducklings yet?"

"Ducklings?" Harry asked, shuffling the deck of magical cards he'd found in Lucius' desk. He had been missing his lover more than usual and decided to make himself comfortable in his study where the scent of his cologne was strongest. Draco had wandered in an hour later, sprawling across the couch and making small-talk in between reading whatever it was he had brought in with him.

"Your friends. They follow you around like a bunch of brainless ducklings."

"…right. And yeah, I got a letter from Mr Weasley…but I don't think I want to read it."

Draco peered at him over his magazine – some kind of catalogue. "You never know. He might be congratulating you."

"I think I'll ask Sirius to read it first, either way. What are you looking at?"

"Baby things," Draco grinned. "Cribs and clothes and stuff."

"Oi, let me see!" Harry said, jumping up from the desk. There was hardly any space with how Draco was laying against the arm, so Draco shuffled into a sitting position and pulled him practically onto his lap, their legs stretched out to the other side of the couch.

"I was thinking we could go look at their show-rooms," Draco announced when they were settled. "Or you and Dad. But either way, I want to help decorate Baby's room."

"Really?" Harry smiled, glancing over images of hand-crafted cribs and other furniture. "How 'bout you do the whole thing? I'll even pay you."

"Pay me?" Draco echoed, mystified. "The _whole_ thing?"

"Sure. You've got good taste. Obviously, I want to pick out some stuff, but you can decorate and organise everything as you'd like."

"I'd love to," he murmured, slowly turning the page and resting his chin on Harry's shoulder. "Thanks, Potter."

"Mm."

* * *

Sirius shook his head at the mushy-ness of it all, gently closing the door and walking back to the library where Remus was going through that day's mail – _kindly_ delivered by Kreacher. Sitting across from him, he propped his head up on his fist and surveyed the neat piles. Read, unread and trash.

"Padfoot," Remus acknowledged after a moment, smiling at him before returning to his letter. "What's up?"

"Mummy-Malfoy and our little dragon are cooing over Baby," Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. Despite everything, he was also rather excited about the baby. He hadn't been able to be around when Harry was a child and though he still had some reservations about Lucius himself, it was hard not to be happy for them.

Remus smirked, most likely picturing it. As much as he denied it, Draco could be adorable and Harry was the same. "How sweet."

"Mmm. Need some help?"

"You can look through the unopened envelopes," Remus offered, brushing the end of his quill over his cheek distractedly. "I think Narcissa sent you something too."

"_Again_? We spoke just last week! Merlin, bloody woman and her menopause…"

"Sirius!"

"_What_? It's true!" he whined, pouting absurdly when Remus gave him a disapproving glare. Huffing, he went back to sorting through the envelopes, setting aside Narcissa's when he found it. Trash…trash…ooh, coupons…trash…love letter? Set aside for when he's feeling shitty about himself…trash…trash…_fuck_.

"Moony? There's a letter from Dumbledore."

Ink splattered across the desk. Fumbling to keep it from emptying out, Remus righted it and shook his hand off, trying not to dirty his wand. Swallowing thickly, he looked up at his long-time friend and partner. "W-what does it say?"

Chewing on his lip, Sirius shook his head and shakily broke the seal. Dumbledore didn't write them often, he sent a Patronus or fire-called if he wanted to speak to them – personally sitting down to write a letter was like receiving your death-date. He had just read over the short script when Draco burst into the library, shaking like a leaf.

"The Prophet know Harry's pregnant!"

**PART 3/END**


	4. Part IV

**A/N: Okay, split Part 4 because it was too long. There will be a total of five chapters and an epilogue.**

* * *

**PART 4/5**

Luggage floating behind him, Lucius locked his hotel door and made his way to the lobby where he checked out and returned the key. His colleague was probably still having breakfast, but he wasn't bothered about leaving the idiot behind – he had somewhere else to be and he was on a tight schedule.

"Mr Malfoy?"

"Yes," he replied, raising an eyebrow at the youth standing before him. "And you are…?"

"I am Joseph, your International Portkey Attendant, sir. Are you ready to go?"

"Of course," Lucius said, taking a moment to shrink everything to fit in his coat pocket before gesturing towards the warded area near the back of the hotel where Portkeys and Apparition were allowed. "Let's go."

* * *

"This is a _disaster_!" Draco hissed, pacing back and forth. He kept smoothing down his hair and biting his lip, looking on the verge of hyperventilating. "I can't believe the mudblood talked to the press!"

Remus frowned distractedly, "Draco—"

"Don't 'Draco' me!" he shouted, gesturing wildly at Harry. He had remained in the same spot, not talking or responding since answering Fred and George's horrified fire-call. "Now what? Father isn't just going to have a cow, he's going to birth the whole bloody farm himself!"

"Sit down and shut up!" Sirius snapped, expression smoothing out somewhat when his terrified little lover nearly tripped over himself trying to find a seat. "Now, we don't know it was Hermione, so let's not jump to conclusions. Harry, are you okay? Do you need something?"

Harry shook his head numbly.

Draco sighed, scooting over to wrap an arm around his sort-of-friend. "It'll be okay, Potter."

"Didn't you just say Lucius was going to have a 'bloody farm'?"

"I—I overreacted! Look, we just need to do some damage-control."

There was a moment of silence before Harry sighed, slumping. "How?"

"We should probably give a statement – but I'd rather Father talk to them, he always knows exactly what to say. For now, we have get the stupid reporters to leave and ward the house against Howlers and letters that contain anything harmful."

"Can you do that?" Remus frowned. "I thought only the Head of House could alter the wards."

"My father taught me how to put up extra protection for when he leaves. I'll need some help though – Sirius."

"Alright," the man sighed, shooting his godson a sympathetic smile. "We'll be back in a bit, cub."

Nodding, Harry curled up in his usual spot. He leaned into Remus when the werewolf sat beside him, feeling – empty. He hadn't known what to say when Fred told him about the special edition of the Prophet and now he felt a bit like when everyone kept saying he was going dark in second year. He had been expecting something like this since finding out about his pregnancy – no matter what he did, the press always got a whiff of it and made it into some huge deal. Here and now, though…he had no doubt he was in shock. In the span of twenty-four hours, he had been outed to his friends and the whole bloody Wizarding world without having to say a word.

And Lucius…what the fuck was he going to do about him? He didn't think the Prophet was sold in China, but news spread fast. He just hoped Lucius wouldn't completely chew him out in public – not that Lucius was the type, but you never knew…

"It'll be okay, cub," Remus said softly. "Do you want to cancel the party tomorrow?"

Groaning, Harry rubbed his face. He had completely forgotten about his birthday and the 'get-together' Molly insisted on every year. It was always held at the Burrow, much to Lucius and Draco's distaste.

"No…it's best to face everyone right away."

"Harry, you don't have to. It really is none of their business and if they believe any of the rubbish the Prophet love writing about you…"

"I know, Moony." He sighed. "Still, I'll feel better knowing I at least told my side of the story."

"Alright, cub. I just wouldn't advise telling them Lucius doesn't know…"

"Noted…"

* * *

Harry was curled up in Lucius' desk-chair again, just thinking and cuddling with Neel when the Floo spluttered to life. Startled, he sat up and peered over the edge of the desk, sighing quietly in relief when he saw Snape's unreadable expression.

"Is anyone there?" Snape called, looking vaguely annoyed.

He got up and crossed the room, kneeling before the fireplace and smirking lightly when Snape raised an eyebrow. "Hullo. Did you want someone specific?"

"Not particularly," the man said coolly, raising his chin somewhat in defiance. "Professor Dumbledore asked that I make sure everything is being handled in the correct manner."

Shrugging, Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Draco is busy warding the house…?"

"With who?" Snape demanded, narrowing his eyes. "I was not aware he knew how to do this."

"Neither did we – Lucius taught him how to do some when he's not around or something. Sirius went with him."

"Hm. Where is Lupin?"

"Corresponding with Mr Weasley. I think."

"You are planning to leave the house?"

Rolling his eyes, Harry repressed a grim smile. "I'm not an invalid – and before you start on about Gryffindor bravery and whatnot, I'll have Remus, Sirius _and_ Draco with me. Unless, of course, you're actually concerned about my safety and wish to come along to celebrate my birthday as well?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Snape sneered. "Have you not contacted your…partner, then?"

"Lucius? No…"

"And, pray tell, why not?"

"…"

"Forget Gryffindor bravery, you're more suited for Hufflepuff with that meek 'wouldn't want to bother him' attitude."

Harry grumbled under his breath, scowling, but had no witty retort. He hadn't contacted Lucius purely because he was—well, _scared_. Who knew what he would say?! And then there was the fact that he'd only been gone a couple of days and the world was already crashing down around Harry. Above all else, he wouldn't want Lucius to think he couldn't take care of himself – and the baby!

Thinking about it, it was a pretty selfish thought…but his pregnant, hormone-crazed mind had decided he was allowed to be selfish since he was incubating and then eventually required to deliver an unexpected – but not unwelcome – baby.

Suddenly very distracted with that horrifying thought, Harry missed the strange look Snape was giving him. How _was_ he going to give birth?! Surely by Caesarean, but he didn't actually know. Why hadn't he thought to ask this before?!

"Potter?"

"What?" he blinked, frowning as he looked back up to meet beetle-black eyes. "Did you say something?"

"Your potions should arrive soon with an owl. Don't take more than the prescribed amount."

"Oh…er, thanks," he said. "That was quick."

"They're not hard to brew," Snape raised an eyebrow. "Draco or even you could have made an adequate batch. Though, on second thought, if I were you I wouldn't risk it."

Scowling despite his lifted mood, Harry disconnected the call with a sarcastic little wiggle of his fingers and wandered back to where Neel was roosting on Lucius' chair.

At least he wouldn't have to feel gross in the morning.

* * *

The room was dim, the only light coming from the high flames crackling in the fire-place directly across from the bed. Harry lay curled up in the centre of the bed, duvet tucked around his chest and pillows piled just the way he liked. He was alone – or really, _they_ were alone, despite Sirius' protests. Remus and Draco seemed to understand.

He was steeling himself for the day to come, enjoying the solitude and also yearning for his lover's comforting presence.

Time was crawling by, midnight and then one, then two and then three…each hour announced with an eerie song from the old grandfather clock in the parlour. He used to hate it, had even gone as far as to ask Lucius to put silencing charms around the bedroom, but nowadays he slept right through it. Lucius had confessed to being utterly freaked out by it as a child, with much the same reaction from Draco, though it didn't bother them anymore – not since having their respective fathers tell them the tale that went with the tune.

He remembered the night Lucius told him, wrapped up in his arms, back to chest, smirking lips whispering into his ear as the clock struck midnight and a misty figure drifted across the room.

The air suddenly felt colder, goose-bumps rising across his flesh. He didn't dare open his eyes.

* * *

It was only six, but Harry couldn't sleep any more. He rolled out of bed, shuffling across to the bathroom where he turned on the shower and shucked his clothes. Harry brushed his teeth as he waited for the water to heat up, shivering and hopping from one foot to the other. Half-heartedly, he played with the idea of Lucius creeping into the bathroom with him for some yummy shower-lovin'.

When steam started fogging up the mirror he got into the stall, sighing as water cascaded down his body and warmed him up immediately. He waited until he was completely soaked before rubbing the water from his eyes and choosing one of the shatter-proof vials containing shampoo – Lucius', naturally. He normally used the cheap, no-name-brand shit to wash his hair with, but he figured he might as well indulge himself on his birthday.

Rinsing it out, he slathered on some body-wash next. He washed the length of his body with a face-cloth, paying extra attention to his belly. He wasn't sure, but it looked as if it had grown some since his last inspection.

It was definitely noticeable now, even in the robes he stole from Lucius' 'throw out eventually' pile. It looked sort of strange next to his flat chest and firmly-muscled limbs, but not…_bad_.

After a few minutes of simply standing under the spray, Harry turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He wiped his feet on the non-slip mat and ruffled a hand-towel through his hair to catch any stray drops of water.

"Harry?"

"Bathroom!" he called, padding towards the sink to comb his hair. He had just gotten two vials from the cabinet when Draco poked his head around the door.

"Potter."

"Malfoy," he replied without missing a beat. He unscrewed the first vial, instantly assaulted with the scent of peaches. It was a hair-removal cream Draco introduced him to as an alternative to shaving – his first gift of any kind from the blonde, as it happened. Ron had been dumbfounded, but Harry appreciated the non-sentimentality of it. He didn't do well with those kinds of things.

"You're up early. Couldn't sleep?"

"Too anxious," he admitted, glancing at his sort-of-friend in the mirror. "What about you?"

"Sirius got a call a few hours ago and had to leave, so I got up with Remus. He came to say goodbye, didn't he?"

"I think so," Harry said, frowning slightly. After a moment he shrugged and continued with his routine. "What's up?"

"Heard the water going and thought I'd come check on you."

"Hm. Get me something to wear? A pair of Lucius' trousers, though."

Draco raised an eyebrow but complied, disappearing into the bedroom followed by the sound of rustling clothing.

Harry wiped off the excess cream and uncorked the second vial – cologne. It was pretty expensive, so he only used it on special occasions. He dabbed it on and put both containers away, noting Draco's reappearance out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks," he said once the pile of clothes were sitting on the counter. Picking the pants on the top of the pile, he casually dropped his towel and put them on, followed by a pair of too-long trousers.

"Oh," Draco said, eyes wide. "We need to get you maternity clothes…even father's trousers won't fit you for long."

"You say that like he's fat," Harry snorted, unable to picture his lover as anything but the complete health-freak he was. "And don't say 'maternity clothes'. That sounds horrible."

"Whatever," the blonde said with a roll of his eyes, flapping his hand in the air. "You'll need new clothes, either way. It slipped my mind…"

Seeing the glazed 'I get to spend money' expression, Harry sighed and pulled on his favourite green jumper. All he could do in these kinds of situations was smile and wave…

* * *

"Happy birthday, Harry," Remus smiled, pulling him into a one-armed hug and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Thanks," he said, leaning into the werewolf. "Will Padfoot be back before we leave?"

"Hopefully," Remus frowned slightly before shaking his head and pouring some juice into a glass and putting it in front of his plate. "Pancakes?"

"Mm. Anything interesting the mail?"

"I've already gotten rid of all of the hate-mail, if that's what you're asking. As for birthday things, just the usual stuff – cards, chocolate frogs and gift-certificates from the Order and Dumbledore. You'll be seeing most of your friends later, but I think there was a package each from Viktor and Cedric. Narcissa will be coming by later."

He nearly choked on his juice. "N-Narcissa? _Oh – my – god!_ Draco—?!"

"Relax, I went over last night and explained the whole situation. She's really excited."

"Did you tell her about Lucius?" Harry frowned worriedly despite the blonde's reassuring smile.

"She promised not to tell him – but just so you know, she's not very impressed you've hid it from him and I had to bribe her bigtime."

"How big?" he asked warily, wincing. As a traditional pureblood woman, it was unlikely she would have supported his decision to keep the pregnancy secret – dually, he knew she wouldn't have forced her opinion on him. There probably would have just been a lot of lecturing.

Biting his lip, Draco tapped the side of his glass nervously. "I _may_ have promised her the godmother position…"

"Oh, that's fine," Harry said, relieved. "I was going to ask her anyway."

"And what about godfather?" Remus asked, cutting his eggs and glancing at him curiously. "Ron? Or maybe Neville…"

Looking up at him from under his lashes, Harry smiled nervously. "Actually…I was wondering if you'd like to be godfather…"

"_Me_?" Moony spluttered, shocked.

"Yeah," Draco said, obviously pleased. "Sirius is already Harry's godfather, so he's had his turn and I'm older brother, so it's only natural for you to be it!"

"What do you think?"

"I'd be honoured, cub. You should probably consult Lucius about this first, though…"

"Oh, don't worry," Draco chirped. "Dad will have no choice but to agree – Mum made it clear when they divorced she wanted to be involved with any children he had in the future, so that's his pick. Even if you weren't my boyfriend and he hated your entire being, he'd have no say since Harry wanted you."

"…alright then."

"What are we talking about?"

"Sirius!" Harry said, jumping up to hug the tired man.

"Hey, cub. Happy twentieth! Feeling old, yet?"

"Idiot," he rolled his eyes, smiling goofily.

Draco said, "We were just deciding who Baby's godparents are."

"Oh?" Sirius asked, flopping into the closest empty seat. "And who are they?"

"Mum and Remus."

"Ooh, good luck with that, Moony! Narcissa—"

"Can hear you all quite clearly. I'm assuming it's alright to come through now?"

Draco jumped to his feet, face flaming red as he rushed to the parlour.

"You're in _trouble_," Harry sang, smirking into his plate.

"Brat…"

"Happy birthday, Harry!" Narcissa exclaimed, smiling uncharacteristically wide as she appeared in the doorway. Heels clacking on the floor, she shooed Sirius form his seat, ignoring his indignant squawks, and leaned in to press a brief kiss to his forehead. She hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Don't be too upset with Lucius when he returns…though an admirable man, I blame his father for his travel-fever. Let's not even start on his commitment issues…"

Smiling weakly, he got one last in-breath of lavender before Narcissa pulled away and settled gracefully in Sirius' chair. He understood what she meant, though he was confused as to why she would bring it up. Perhaps from experience, he wondered.

"So," Draco said brightly, "what brings you here, mother? Not that we're not thrilled."

"I'm sure," Narcissa replied dryly, taking the offered teacup from Remus with a nod of thanks. "I know I said I'd come over tomorrow, but Andromeda was greatly disturbed by what she had read in the _Prophet_ and contacted me to find out what was going on. I thought I'd go over for tea and explain – with your permission, of course, Harry. If you'd prefer I could tell her only that it's need-to-know and nothing like what Skeeter wrote."

Harry had gone rather pale upon hearing about Andy. He wasn't especially close to her, but after Tonks and Remus' brief romance and his unexpectedly cordial relationship with his partner's ex-wife, he was proud to call her a friend. He wouldn't want her to feel as if she'd been left out or forgotten.

"No…you can tell her," he said after a short silence. "I hope she isn't too upset, though…"

"Don't worry," Narcissa replied, patting his hand. "She was excited at the prospect of a baby, it was just the suddenness and how it was announced that troubled her."

"What did Skeeter write, anyway?" Harry frowned. "Just so I know what I'm up against…"

His family in all but blood exchanged wary glances before Remus sighed, pushing his coffee away. "It was as nasty as usual, Harry. She claimed Lucius had gotten bored and started looking for sex elsewhere and heartbroken, you seduced him and made so you'd have a child and have to get married."

Truthfully, he had been expecting something worse. A lot worse. Frowning lightly, he took a sip of his juice and contemplated the situation. "No-one has questioned whether the baby is actually Lucius'?"

"Probably," Draco admitted, grimacing. "But nothing in the papers, so far. It's mostly either you purposely getting knocked up or dad tricking you."

Snorting, Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, isn't that what happened?"

Draco looked confused, but Remus seemed to understand and frowned disapprovingly at him. He shrugged and looked away, unable to meet Sirius or Narcissa's gazes. He still needed answers…

**PART 4/END**


	5. Part V

**PART 5/5**

After breakfast they retired to the main sitting room, save for Remus who had to check in with Dumbledore. Harry flopped down in Lucius' favourite armchair, legs curled up under him and one hand held firmly over his belly. It protested at the sudden movement but settled down after a moment of him merely sitting there and he sighed, glad he wouldn't have to rush to the bathroom.

He winced slightly as he tried to make himself more comfortable, calling for Minny when it got too much. "Snape sent a potion for me," he managed to choke out, flapping a hand irritably when Draco hovered near his side.

Minny popped away and retuned within seconds, holding out a navy-blue vial and a goblet of water. Draco took them wordlessly, reading the hand-written instructions pasted on the bottle before tilting a few drops of the potion into the water.

Harry wrinkled his nose as he took the offered mix, peering over the rim. "It looks like food-colouring," he said in disgust before downing it quickly, grimacing at the thin chalky flavour. It worked however, the unease and overall ill feeling disappearing quickly from his weary body.

"Food-colouring?" Draco asked, eyebrows furrowed. "What's that?"

"A muggle thing," Harry said distractedly, frowning at him when the blonde wiggled into the chair beside him. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, but allowed him to squeeze in and cuddled into his side when they were settled. Draco was almost as good a snuggle-post as Lucius.

"You put it in cup-cakes and stuff," he clarified when three sets of confused eyes met his gaze.

There was a collective 'oh' and then a comfortable silence in which they soaked up the warmth crackling from the fireplace, atmosphere similar to the morning Hermione came over – before she arrived, obviously. They were all at peace and content, save the puppy-eyes Sirius kept sending Draco in an attempt to gain a cuddling partner.

Harry stuck his tongue out at him, wiggling his eyebrows and snuggling closer into his sorta-friend. Sirius' expression was priceless, jumbled sentences falling from his mouth.

"What the fuck?" Draco leaned back somewhat, pulling a 'this is getting weird' face. "What are you two doing?"

"Nothing!" Harry sang, smirking when Sirius seemed to give up and flopped back on the couch, grumbling to himself and crossing his arms.

"Right, nothing," Draco said, raising his eyebrows. Turning to his mother, he said: "How's…Raymond?"

"Ramone," Narcissa replied evenly, smoothing her skirt over her lap and fixing her son with a sharp gaze. "His name is _Ramone_. We've been over this, Draco."

"Raymond, Ramone, same thing," he mumbled, resisting the urge to roll his eyes and then _really_ annoy her. "It's not as if he'll be around long, anyway…"

Harry watched the interaction with interest, first noting how Sirius seemed to wince and lean away from his cousin. Narcissa didn't look particularly bothered, but Draco was exuding discomfort and…bitterness?

He knew Draco didn't like most of the men his mother brought home for introductions, though he seemed more upset than usual. Wasn't Ramone the one who wanted to take Narcissa to Argentina for months at a time?

"I hope you know how ridiculous you sound, my son," she said coolly. "Ramone and I have been official for quite some time."

Draco looked away towards the windows and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "tell that to his bitch of a daughter" and Harry stiffened, suddenly understanding what was going on. He tried to move away but was immediately pulled back into place, manicured nails digging into his hip. Draco said nothing, didn't even look at him, but didn't let up and hesitating, Harry lay back against him.

"So," Sirius said brightly, breaking the tense silence. "Have you spoken to Lucius, cub?"

"No," he said, shrugging as much as he could in his position. "He hasn't called since before the whole disaster with the Prophet…and I can't call him because of the stipulations thing with the hotel." Seeing their confused looks, he added: "They don't allow incoming international calls. He can only receive calls from the Ministry because they're registered, blah, blah, blah…"

"He hasn't owled you?"

"Not that I'm aware of. It takes a while to get here, either way."

"Maybe there'll be something for you by the time we get back from the Burrow," Draco suggested half-heartedly, only wrinkling his nose a little bit.

"Or maybe they're already here," Narcissa pointed out. "He could have asked for the elves to give them to you at a certain time."

Harry blinked, mind slowing somewhat as he connected that statement to the strange behaviour of Minny and Missy since Lucius had left. They had been cleaning the bedroom more excessively than usual, too…

"It doesn't matter," he said after a moment. "Just as long as I get some kind of greeting card or something. Anyway, did you guys hear about…"

* * *

Harry cringed as the door was slammed shut in Sirius' face, frowning disapprovingly at Draco who merely looked away and perched on the bed. Harry sighed and went to the bathroom, ruffling his hair and checking his face and teeth before heading to the closet and picking a casual-robe. It was plain black with a grey in-seam – exceptionally soft, though.

"How are you going to handle the Weasels?" Draco asked, checking his nails.

"Don't call them that," Harry said tiredly, buttoning up his robe. "And I'll just be honest. If they don't like what I have to say or don't believe me…well then. I guess there's nothing else we can do."

"If you say so," he replied doubtfully.

"Yes, I say so. Come, we need to go."

* * *

Being pregnant and _any_ kind of magical transportation didn't go together. Not even a little bit.

Harry hunched over slightly, breathing in deeply through his nose and clutching his belly with his free arm. His other hand was hooked with Draco's as they had Apparated together.

"Do you need some more of the potion?" Draco asked softly.

He had been acting strange since the awkward conversation with his mother, most likely sulking – no matter how horrible that made Harry sound. He knew Draco had issues with sharing and he didn't want to have to share his parents with anybody, especially not the horrible woman they had been introduced to briefly last Yule. It was still nagging at Harry that by having Baby Draco would have to share his father, though he didn't think Draco himself had quite made the connection yet.

Harry shook his head, blinking the spots away. He slowly straightened up, feeling a little better when Draco gently disentangled himself to wrap a strong arm around his shoulder, their hips and thighs pressed flush together.

"Is everything alright?" Remus asked, appearing beside them with Sirius a half-second behind. "Are you feeling ill, Harry?"

"I'm fine," he insisted weakly. "I just…need a minute. Maybe Apparition wasn't the best idea…"

"Probably not," Sirius conceded. "We're here though…we should go inside. Do you need me to—"

"I've got him," Draco scowled, turning his face away and rolling his eyes.

Remus reached over and cuffed his young lover upside the head, expression unusually thunderous and voice harder than nails. "I'm not telling you not to feel the way you do, but have some consideration for others, Draco. You've been distant ever since your mother left, snapping at Sirius unnecessarily and making us all feel uncomfortable. Today is about Harry and if you're going to continue acting like this then you can just go home."

No-one quite knew what to say – especially Remus, once he realised what he had done.

Draco gaped at him, eyes wide and hand covering his head where he had been hit. It hadn't been hard enough to cause damage or even hurt, but it certainly jarred him.

Remus looked speechless. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times before shaking his head. "I—!"

"What are you lot doing out here?" the twins appeared at the edge of the lawn, peering at them curiously. "You've been standing here a while…"

"Nothing," Draco said, dragging Harry forward and ignoring how Sirius and Remus seemed to hang behind, unsure of how to continue.

Harry pushed away his uncertainty, knowing Draco wouldn't go long before giving in and crawling back to Remus with his tail between his legs – figuratively, of course. It would all work out in the end. It wasn't the first time Remus had to 'put Draco in his place' and it wasn't the last time either. He wasn't considered the 'alpha' of their triad for nothing.

They came to the front door of the Burrow, ajar and letting out the delicious smell of food and the chattering of the guests. He wasn't sure who had been invited that year, but it was probably all the usual people and their significant others. They walked inside and moved towards where the party seemed to be happening, familiar faces popping up everywhere.

"Harry!"

The silence was deafening, but Harry pasted on a smile and allowed Draco to step back a bit. He glanced over the crowd, spotting Neville and Blaise, Luna, Bill and Fleur immediately. Hermione and Ginny were hovering near the back, looking as if they didn't quite know what to do. He shook his head lightly and said, "Hello, everyone."

Luna pushed through the crowd, practically skipping to his side and throwing her arms around his neck. She smelt like wildflowers and…pickles? Her hair tickled his nose, but she was warm against his chest and her hug firm.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" she said, smiling when she pulled away. "Oh, hullo Draco. Mr Lupin, Mr Black! How nice to see you."

"Yes, hello Luna," they replied in union, smiling fondly at her – even Draco.

"Come, come," Luna insisted, tugging him towards where some snacks had been set up. "I made muffins! You'll try one, won't you?"

Harry blanched. "Uh…oh alright," he sighed, seeing her pleading look. She smiled, humming happily as she chose a suspiciously normal-looking muffin and held it out expectantly.

"They're actually pretty good," Ron said awkwardly, appearing a little aways from them. "Just don't ask her what's in them…you'll regret it."

Harry was briefly surprised at the appearance of his friend, but nodded and took a brave bite out of the side, blinking in astonishment when he didn't immediately have the urge to wash out his mouth. The muffin was a little sweeter than he usually liked, but it was soft and almost…fluffy.

"It's good!" he exclaimed, warming when Luna seemed to focus on him, the usually distant look in her eyes fading and replaced with genuine happiness.

The crowd seemed to relax after that, people randomly coming up to him and wishing him a happy birthday or clapping him on the shoulder. Fleur kissed him on the cheek and made him sit down – 'to save his strength' – much to his mortification, but Bill shook his head from behind her and he took that as to just go with it.

It got tense again when Mrs Weasley bustled out of the kitchen and made a fuss, asking him if he was eating alright and all the usual stuff. She said absolutely nothing about babies or his in particular, which didn't comfort him one bit. He could only hope she would wait until it was just them – as in him, the Weasleys, Hermione and Draco, Remus and Sirius – to begin her inevitable questioning and lecturing.

"Mum! He's alright," Ron said, coming to stand by his chair. "Weren't you doing something, anyway?"

"My cake!" Mrs Weasley gasped, hesitating briefly before rushing back to the kitchen.

"Thanks, mate," Harry laughed weakly, rubbing his neck. "You know I love her, but…"

"Yeah, she gets a bit much sometimes," Ron said, grinning. His smile faded a moment later and he glanced away, noting who was around them. He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Look mate, I'm really sorry about Hermione. I don't know what happened…she was really freaked out but she wouldn't tell us what about and just said something had happened to you and that we shouldn't say anything. I didn't know…about…_you know_."

"Yeah, I know," Harry replied quietly. "It's fine, Ron."

"No, it's not! Look, Harry…I don't mind, okay? You're my friend and honestly, I've been expecting this for a while…subconsciously, at least."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. "Really?" he asked, voice unsteady.

"Yeah, I mean…I know I wasn't as supportive as I should have been when you got together, but I thought you were just…playing around. Now, I can see how serious you are. Honestly, you two are like an old married couple! Having kids shouldn't have been any kind of surprise."

"You really don't mind?" Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek, spying the twins out of the corner of his eye. They both flashed him the thumbs up and he relaxed a bit. He had never been particularly anxious about their reactions – they had their own dirty little secrets and wouldn't dare judge him about his own. "That I'm…pregnant?"

"I mean, at first it was a big shock…but it's really none of my business, Harry. Not unless you want it to be. I'm happy for you, either way. I know how much you want a proper family – don't look at me like that, mate, I'm not offended or anything – yes, I wish we could be enough for you, but I also know that's a selfish wish. Just, don't be too hard on 'Mione, okay? She really was just concerned about you…"

Harry blew out a sigh, rolling his eyes and elbowing Ron in the side. "Like I could stay mad at her for long. I love you guys." Sobering somewhat, he said softly, "You're my best mate, Ron. Of course I want you to be a part of my kid's life."

Ron seemed to deflate, relief emanating from his very being. He smirked weakly, punching him in the shoulder. "Good – gotta have someone who won't completely spoil the kid. Wouldn't want another Ferret."

Snorting, Harry shook his head. He steered the conversation onto more stable ground, smiling widely when Neville detached himself from Blaise to come over and join them.

* * *

Draco had drifted away when Harry and Weasel started getting sappy, talking briefly with Blaise and then Luna before wandering off with drink in hand. He ended up outside, nearly backing up and scrambling back to Harry's side when he found his lovers' in the backyard, heads bent together and cigarettes burning.

Sirius spotted him before he could even contemplate escaping however, urging him closer with a simple 'come hither' motion. He scowled, mostly for show, but sighed and slowly approached. Remus just barely glanced at him, body angled away from him.

"Everything alright in there?" Sirius asked casually, making no move to pull him closer or even brush his hair away from his face.

Draco was immediately disappointed, but knew he was making a statement by not giving into his touchy-feely ways. "Fine," he grumbled. "Weasel and Harry made up."

"And the others?"

"They've been hanging back."

"Hmm," Sirius hummed, taking a deep drag of his cigarette before dropping it onto the bricks and crushing it under his boot. He brushed his hands off on his trousers in habit, nudging Remus fondly and using his chin to point to the house. "I'm going to go inside and find something to eat."

Remus shrugged, bringing his own cigarette to his mouth and keeping it there held between his index and middle finger, crossing his other arm and resting his hand on the opposite elbow in a distinctively reflective position. He seemed inclined to stay silent even as the silence stretched on uncomfortably, still angled away from Draco in a passively-hostile sort of way.

Eventually, Draco couldn't take it anymore. "I'm…_sorry_." He ground out, crossing his arms and glaring off towards the side.

"Oh?"

Well, at least Remus was speaking to him. That was a good sign.

"I was being a brat and sulking over stupid things. I'm sorry. I deserved your…love-tap."

"Draco!" Remus frowned, spinning on his heel to face him. "You were being a brat, yes, but like I said I'm not trying to tell you how to feel! Just, try to be considerate of other people. And no-one deserves to be hit!"

Draco rolled his eyes, seeing where this was going. "It didn't even hurt, Moony. I was just surprised…as I always am. Never given hidings as a kid, remember? Well, there was that one time…but that's not the point."

"Either way, I shouldn't have hit you," Remus growled.

"What if I asked you too?" he asked innocently, looking up at his lover under his lashes.

"No." Remus deadpanned, much like a parent to a nagging child.

"How boring," Draco whined, flopping forward and winding his arms around Remus' neck. He pushed himself even closer, burying his face under his ear and breathing in deeply.

Remus sighed fondly and put out his ciggy, knowing their little fight was probably already forgotten. Could it even be considered a fight? Probably not – more like a tiff.

* * *

Harry saw Draco and Remus re-enter the house, the latter wandering off towards the kitchen – most likely to offer his services. Draco didn't approach him however, he headed straight for where Sirius was sitting chatting with Bill and Mr Weasley and dropped onto his lap as if he didn't weigh ten stone – ten stone of pure muscle, slim limbs and a respectable height of five foot ten. Thinking about it, Draco should probably eat more…

Blinking, Harry groaned and rubbed his face. _Oh dear Lord, I'll be Mrs Weasley in no time…_

"Alright, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Yeah," he said, smiling reassuringly. "How's it going working under Professor Sprout?"

It seemed to be the wrong question. Neville stiffened, expression closing down and eyes hardening. He moved closer, glancing over the room before locking eyes again. "Harry, we need to talk. Away from everyone else."

Harry didn't have a good feeling. He nodded anyway, standing and following Neville from the room. A few people glanced dubiously at them, Luna and Blaise looking as if they wanted to follow but deciding not to at the last moment. They ended up outside where it was starting to get a little chilly, even though it was still summer.

"Harry…I don't know how to say this, so I'll just come out with it. Mrs Weasley was the one who tipped off the press about your pregnancy."

Harry felt as if he had been punched in the chest. The breath seemed to leave his body in one big _whoosh_, lungs burning and constricting. His mouth fell open, eyes widening before they fell shut. He crossed his arms, hugging himself, and tried to pull himself together.

"...tell me," he whispered.

"She came to Hogwarts, screaming and shouting and demanding to speak with Dumbledore. He came quickly, but he wasn't fast enough and by the time he could console her half the castle knew you had been 'defiled' and 'taken advantage of' because it was obvious you would have a 'strong body to produce an heir from'."

"That's not even accurate!" Harry hissed. "Draco's his heir!"

"I know that, mate," Neville said, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm just telling you what she said. It didn't take long for everyone to realise what she was insinuating and rumours spread quickly. The _Prophet_ couldn't get the article out fast enough."

Harry was furious – but he also knew Mrs Weasley obviously hadn't been trying to spite him. It was like the Howler from second year all over again…she was upset and angry and wasn't thinking straight. If the fussing and hovering was anything to go by, she was probably very embarrassed and guilty about her actions.

He sighed, dropping his head into his hands and rubbing his eyes. He was so tired.

"Thanks, Neville…"

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. I figured you'd want to talk in person."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm glad you told me…thanks for being so supportive too, you and Blaise. I really appreciate it, Neville."

"Of course," he said, looking a little uncomfortable but also beaming under the sincerity. "You're my friend, Harry. And Merlin knows how long it's been since a male pregnancy was heard of. Gran approves, if it means anything to you. Ranted for hours about how Mr Malfoy was finally doing something right…bringing back the old ways and all that." Flushing red, he added in a mumble, "And of course Blaise may have insinuated he might possibly want to have kids with me…It'd be a little hypocritical of me to judge you when we've been thinking of the same thing."

"Really? That's great!" Harry enthused, feeling a lot better than a few seconds ago. It would be great not to be the only one…

"Just…I have to ask, Harry. Are you happy? You don't look as if you aren't, but you've not got the greatest track record of telling everyone your true feelings."

Harry's smile dimmed a bit, though he wasn't angry or hurt. He knew Neville was just trying to look out for him. He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "It was a big shock…but I _am_ happy. It's hard not to be, when I have all this support and then of course a baby afterwards."

"Then that's all that matters," Neville said wisely. He grinned widely a moment later, hooking arms with Harry and leading him back towards the house. "So, have you decided on…"

* * *

The party continued without any mishaps, someone turning music on at some point and spurring everyone into dancing. It was definitely what Harry needed – just some mindless fun before everyone went home and he had his talk with all of his closest friends. He ate good food, drank a little of everything that didn't contain alcohol and danced with almost everyone.

Hermione approached him during this time, smiling uncertainly and asking if he needed a partner. He didn't think about it, taking her hand and leading them into a hilariously-bad dance that had everyone in tears. He made lewd faces for Ron's benefit and Hermione clung to him, sighing exaggeratingly loud and 'fainting' whenever her boyfriend was looking.

They still needed to sort some things out, but it had made everything a little less awkward now that it was clear he didn't resent or hate her. He danced with Ginny and Luna too before moving onto Sirius, regretting it immediately when he was spun across the floor and dragged into sharp dips and decidedly _dirty_ poses. It was fun nonetheless – once Draco had stopped glaring at him and joined in, anyway.

He really hoped Lucius didn't see the awful positions he had been photographed in with Draco. It was one thing to pretend to have a huge crush on his lover's son, it was a completely different subject to be caught pelvic-thrusting on him.

"Everyone's thinking of heading home soon," Draco told him when the party was starting to wind down. A few people had already slipped away after quick goodbyes and pointing out which present was theirs.

"Looks like it," Harry commented. They were cuddling on a conjured sofa that had been pushed off to the side, sipping on fruity drinks and a glass of something strong-smelling respectively. A few couples like Bill and Fleur and Hermione and Ron [who had made up, not that Harry had known they were fighting] were still on the make-shift dance-floor, swaying to soft love ballads. The others were milling around, gobbling down the left-over food and just chatting.

"Hey Harry, we're gonna get going," Neville said, coming over. "We're having dinner with Blaise's mum in a bit and Blaise wants to have a nap first."

Harry got up to say goodbye, ignoring his insistence to stay sitting down. He wrapped an arm around his neck for a quick hug and pulled back, smiling. "Thanks for coming, Nev. See you soon, yeah?"

"You can come visit us whenever you want," Neville nodded. "Keep safe, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Cheers!"

"Cheers, Blaise!" Draco called to his friend, not bothering to get up. Harry made a face at him, but he merely smirked and raised his glass in a salute. Harry flopped down next to him again, pinching his thigh.

"Ow! Domestic abuse!"

"How is this domestic abuse?" Harry snorted.

"I don't know, _mummy_," Draco pouted, rolling his eyes and scooting over when Sirius came to join their snuggling. "Hey, Sirius. Moony finally tell you to take a hike?"

"He's so mean!" Sirius whined, lying across both of their laps and ignoring their wheezing protests. "All I wanted was a kiss…"

"You were practically molesting him!" Harry laughed. "Gah, you're heavy."

"You're just a skinny little twig of a thing," he retorted grumpily. "Cake makes me sleepy..."

Harry and Draco shared a look, coming to the conclusion that he was more than a little drunk. They patted his hair and shoulder, making cooing noises and laughing behind their hands when he preened under their attention before promptly falling asleep.

"Lazy arse," Draco rolled his eyes, continuing the petting anyway. "We'll end up lugging him home…"

"Harry, did Luna come say goodbye to you?" Hermione frowned, having finished up her dance without them noticing. "I can't find her."

"She went home already. Speaking of which, it looks as if everyone suddenly disappeared."

"It's getting pretty late – people are going home or getting ready to go out for the night," she replied. "You'll stay for dinner, won't you?"

"Sure. Just…gather everyone around, yeah? We need to talk."

"Right," she said with an uneasy smile. "I'll be back in a second."

"You don't want to wait until after dinner?" Draco said once she was gone. "It'll be a bit awkward if someone is…disapproving."

"We should speak now," Harry shook his head, seeing the twins and Ron come over. Hermione returned with Ginny moments later, followed by Bill and Fleur, Mr Weasley and then Mrs Weasley who was wiping her hands on her apron.

He hadn't really thought about what he was going to say…he didn't like planning such things anyway, he wanted them to be completely honest. He knew he wouldn't encroach on a few things however – they didn't need to know about Lucius' obliviousness, for example.

Once everyone was sitting or at least standing comfortably, he took in a deep breath and straightened under Remus' comforting gaze. "First of all, I'd like to say thanks for the awesome party. I really had fun."

"It's no problem, Harry," Mrs Weasley replied, smiling. "You know it's no chore."

He nodded, returning her smile before feeling it falter somewhat. "As you all probably know, I'm pregnant. In my second trimester, to be exact."

There were soft 'congratulations', but he decided to ignore them for that time.

"Obviously, whatever you've read in the newspapers is rubbish. There was no…foul play involved and I'm quite happy. I only found out a few weeks ago, so I'd also like to say that I wasn't leaving everyone out to be spiteful – Draco and Sirius only found out a few days ago, and that was by accident. It was a big surprise and I wanted to have everything sorted out before I made it public. I've accepted that what's happened has happened, but I won't allow everyone to keep acting as if this is some…I don't know, horrible thing. I understand that some of you still feel that Lucius isn't good for me or whatever, but I honestly don't care. I love him and we're a family, like it or not. I especially don't appreciate trying to be guilted into thinking something just because I have a baby to watch out for now too."

There was a short tense silence before Mrs Weasley sighed, looking close to tears. "We're just worried about you, dear."

"I know you are and I really do appreciate your concern, but I'm a big boy now. I'm quite capable of making my own decisions – one of them being staying with Lucius. Not because the baby is his and he should take responsibility, but because I _love_ him and _we're having a baby_. We'll sort out everything else along the way. If you can't handle or accept that, then I'm not going to keep contact."

"Oh, Harry, don't do that! Please, we love you!" Molly cried. "Oh dear, oh dear…Harry—!"

"No excuses," he said, holding up a hand. He felt horrible, but knew it had to be done. "Either you can or you can't. Any issues can be worked out another time. I'm not asking you to suddenly love Lucius or our relationship, but I refuse to raise my child in a possibly hostile environment."

"…I can handle it," Ginny said, speaking up when her mother continued to look troubled. "You're my friend and mum's right, we love you. I don't want to lose you over this."

"Thank you, Gin," he smiled weakly.

"Us too," the twins and Bill and Fleur said together.

"You know my opinion, mate," Ron nodded.

"I accept it," Hermione said softly, smiling sadly.

"Molly," Arthur said soothingly, "this has been long-coming. Like Harry said, we don't have to like Lucius and he is an adult. I accept it, my boy. Besides, Malfoy or not, this will be our first grandchild."

"You're right!" Molly gasped, eyes shining. "Oh my, what have I been thinking! You'll let us be grandparents, won't you Harry?"

"Uh, sure," Harry blinked, confused at the complete one-eighty. _Is this…menopause?_

"Malfoy or not, he or she will be our grandchild!" Molly said happily. "I can accept it, Harry. I can't promise to be nice to Lucius, lord know he needs a good kick every now and then, but I love you and a gorgeous child will be reward enough for putting up with his pompous arse."

Harry had a feeling she was missing the point, but decided it was good enough for then. "Thank you, Mrs Weasley. Thank you, guys."

_I suppose she'll be too busy being star-eyed over Baby to do anything else, anyway. And if she does, then we'll sort it out then…for now, this is perfect._

* * *

When Draco had suggested a present would be waiting for him when he got home, he hadn't taken it too seriously. If anything, he expected Lucius to send some sort of letter or card and then only give him his presents when he returned from overseas. So when he had opened their bedroom door, tired and pleasantly full and ready for bed, it took a full minute for everything to sink in.

Pressed up against the bottom of their bed and looking not an inch out of place was the most beautiful crib he had ever seen.

It was almost the same width of their bed in length with a little bit of extra space on either side and made of a rich chestnut, the surface unpolished and the legs twisted for decoration. As he got closer, body numb and expression frozen in shock, he saw multiple runes carved into the sides. They glowed and exuded strong, soothing magic – no doubt to protect the perfect child that would be placed inside.

Pale green silk lined the inside of the crib, a small quilt folded up and placed on top of a matching pillow near the top. Strange toys littered the mattress from stuffed animals to teething rings and what looked to be a rattle. All magical, of course.

It was only as he was leaning over the side, peering into the crib, that he noticed something strange. While runes decorated the outside surfaces, names were carved into the expanse of the inside. There were only two that really stuck out.

Lucius Abraxas and Draco Lucius.

He traced them with trembling fingers, images flashing across his mind like some sort of projector. He jerked away, hand almost scorching hot, but it was too late.

_He was tiny, face plump and round and cheeks pink with sleep. Soft blonde baby-curls fluttered over the pillow, ashen lashes brushing his cheeks. _

He blinked erratically, trying to dislodge the strange image and the even stranger feelings of warmth and tenderness that it erupted within him. He wanted to move away, maybe run for help, but those thoughts were quickly gone from his head.

"Do you like it?"

_Lucius_.

His heart jolted in his chest, breath hitching in his throat. His whole body was frozen, joints locked and blood heavy in his veins. Eventually he managed to break out of the stupor, spinning on his heel to see his supposed-travelling lover leaning against the bathroom doorway. It was almost exactly like when he had come home after Harry had found out he was pregnant.

"Lucius…you bastard, what are you doing?!" Harry growled, irritation and anger welling up in his chest. He was allowed to be upset, dammit! And then there was the deep-seeded doubt in his gut…he figured being angry would distract him from the fact that he was obviously missing something huge.

Quirking an eyebrow, Lucius looked him up and down before grey eyes settled on his face again. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Fuck you!" Harry hissed, crossing his arms defensively. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I finished up early to make it back for your birthday," Lucius said, looking a bit put-out.

"And _what_ is _that_?" Harry demanded, pointing at the crib. "Is this some kind of joke?!"

Lucius was suddenly in front of him, cupping his face and pressing their foreheads together. Harry breathed out shakily, overly aware of the heat between them and how good he smelt.

"I wouldn't be so cruel, my love," Lucius said quietly, cool breath washing over his face. "Turn around."

He did so slowly, reluctant to let go after finally getting him back. He wanted to hold onto his anger, but couldn't help feeling relieved and safe and loved in the older man's presence. Lucius immediately pulled him against his chest, resting his chin on top of his head and gently cupping his belly.

Harry sucked in a quick breath, dread settling in his chest. _I knew it…_

"This crib has been in my family since…well, forever. As you may have guessed, it was Draco's when he was a baby and before that, mine. My father, my uncle, my grandfather, my great aunt and so on. The runes are extremely powerful…the Dark Lord himself wouldn't have been able to break them without a great effort."

"Why are you doing this?" Harry whispered.

Lucius was silent for a moment, as if considering how to answer him. Then finally: "What do you know about Family Magic, Harry?"

"Not much," he said miserably. "Why?"

"As the Head of the family, I have a few…abilities. Do you see this ring?" he held out his left hand, showing off the crystal band on his last finger. "It's made of magically-enhanced crystals. When a child is bore from my lineage, it glows green."

Harry swallowed thickly, closing his eyes. "You knew the whole time." He said flatly, unable to muster any anger or irritation or even betrayal.

"Yes."

"You didn't say anything."

"It was your choice to tell me or not."

"And what if I ran away?" Harry said bitterly. "What would you do then?"

"I would have offered to remove myself as the child's legal parent. I'll not make you stay, Harry."

"But you know I won't go either."

"I wasn't sure, for a while. Now, I know that you want this to work out."

"You're a real bastard, did you know that?"

"I quit my job today. Whether or not we end up raising the child together, I won't be travelling for the Ministry. This last trip to China was to smooth over a few things for my replacement."

Harry bit down on his lip, breathing in deeply and letting it out again. "You could have just been honest from the beginning. Could have saved me a lot of drama and heartache."

"I think we've established I'm not exactly good at…feelings. You're relieved though, aren't you?"

"Fucker. I _meant_, you could have bloody told me all of this. Could have said I could get pregnant and that hey, wanna have a kid?"

Lucius stiffened against him, peeling himself away and taking hold of his shoulders. Harry was spun around to face him, heart stuttering when he caught the disturbed expression on his lover's face. "Harry…you didn't know you could get pregnant?"

"Obviously not!" he huffed.

"We talked about this, Harry. I told you I wanted a child with you and you said you wanted that too."

"What? I don't remember this! When the hell was this?"

They stared at each-other, equally confused and tense before shaking their heads in union. Lucius pulled him close and he buried his face in his neck, breathing in his cologne and sighing softly when he realised his belly was probably very obvious between them. He tried to pull back a bit, but Lucius refused to budge.

"I thought you were just overwhelmed…I didn't realise you didn't remember. We had been drinking…the next day you didn't have a hangover, so I thought you must not have had too much. It was a little before my birthday. I'm really sorry, Harry."

"I can't believe you," Harry grumbled, pleased and confused and exasperated. "I don't even know when we conceived. What if it wasn't even special?"

"…we could make it special now…"

"You bastard!" Harry squeaked. "How can you be thinking about sex at a time like this?!"

"I've been thinking about it all day," Lucius rolled his eyes, smirking down at him. He reached up to brush a lock of hair from his eyes, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Happy birthday, Harry."

"I'm still mad at you," Harry argued, even though he knew it wouldn't take long for him to crumble. Misunderstanding or not, he was still pissed and the fact that Lucius could base it all after a night of drinking was…laughable. Then again, he had probably snuck some shots when he wasn't looking. He sighed, shaking his head. It was all pretty ridiculous. If anything, Hermione was right – they were both horrible at communicating.

"Come, let me make it up to you."

"As in, let me fix the situation that arose from thinking with the wrong head by doing exactly what caused it all?" Harry spluttered in disbelief.

Sighing, Lucius pulled back a bit. "Harry, I don't know what to say. This hasn't exactly gone the way I planned…"

"And what was your plan?"

"Get home, sooth whatever drama there was and then keep you in bed for the next few days."

"Days?" Harry breathed. "You have a lot of confidence."

Snorting, Lucius pulled him towards the bed. "Not undeserved. We can talk in the morning…for now, how about your birthday present?"

He wanted to protest – Lucius was manipulating him, he knew it, but he also wanted to just lie back and be loved. All the stress that had been accumulating was slowly fading away and he didn't doubt it would probably all be gone by the time his lover was finished with him.

It wasn't perfect and they still had a lot to talk about, but that could all wait until morning. Right now, he just wanted to be close to Lucius.

**PART 5/END**


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

Panting softly, feeling tired and sore and content, Harry buried his face in his lover's neck. They were still connected, chests flush together despite the stickiness between them and the sweat clinging to their skin. The room smelt of sex and the last remnants of the incense Lucius had been burning – something spicy, like cinnamon.

It had been almost a year since the birth of their baby boy and they were finally celebrating their martial union – in short, fucking like rabbits on their honeymoon. It wouldn't be a very long one since they had Baby to think about – not his real name of course, but it had stuck even after the pregnancy – but Draco had practically kidnapped his brother and sent them off to a deserted island for the week.

Harry had a niggling suspicion that Lucius had put him up to it, though with the way Draco had been acting around Baby all month he didn't think it took much convincing. He just hoped it was a 'Sympathetic Pregnancy' thing since Sirius had been showing similar symptoms.

If not, he really did pity Remus. It was bad enough he was constantly having to act like the adult in their triad because Draco and Sirius were like two pre-schoolers when it came to certain things.

"Whatever you're thinking about, it's not me."

Smiling, Harry gently disentangled himself and settled on his side, folding his arm under his head as a pillow and slinging the other across Lucius' chest. He stroked firm fair skin, idly poking and prodding as he counted ribs.

"I love you." He said softly, gazing at his lover through his eyelashes. Whatever issues they still had after being reunited on his birthday had been quickly resolved – he hadn't wanted any surprises for the rest of his pregnancy and Lucius was quick to comply, not wanting to upset him after the huge misunderstanding. There had obviously been difficulties and more mix-ups, but nothing they couldn't handle.

"And I, you. But could you stop that? I think you're bruising me."

Snorting, Harry spread his fingers and palmed the expanse of skin instead. Soon enough Lucius turned over, mirroring his pose and wrapping his free arm around his waist, dragging him even closer and tangling their legs. They were pressed together very intimately, but neither pulled away nor did they want to. Tilting his head back slightly, Harry searched storm-cloud eyes briefly before leaning forwards for a kiss.

Their lips brushed simply at first, a chaste peck, but Lucius deepened it a moment later and gently bit into his lower lip, pulling it back before letting it go and diving back in – with tongue that time.

Moaning softly, Harry could feel himself trying desperately to get aroused again. Alas, they had been busy for quite some time and he was exhausted. Chuckling breathlessly, Lucius pulled away with one last peck before settling back on his side.

"Noo," he groaned, pouting. "Want _more_…"

"Later," Lucius smirked, pulling him closer and tucking him under his chin. "We have a whole week to play. Now, we should sleep…"

"Fine," Harry grumbled, smiling a second later. It was nice to be able to just lie there in each-other's arms without any obligations or things they had to do. Well, they did have things to do – like sex, eating, showering, sex, swimming, sex and some more sex – but that was hardly a chore.

It was as he was drifting off that he realised something rather important.

"Hey…you remembered to do the charm, right?"

"…"

"DAMMIT LUCIUS! WE _JUST_ HAD BABY!"

**Epilogue/End**

* * *

So, I hope everyone enjoyed! The timing was a bit off in some places, but I think it worked? I really enjoyed this little series and while I'm sad I didn't really go into the pregnancy or their relationship, this was a pre-written story and I didn't really want to change anything. I'll probably write a prequel at some point - who knows though.

If there are any mistakes [which I hope there aren't] just let me know and I'll fix them!

Thoughts? I love feedback and I really appreciate it when people take the time to let me know what they thought! Thank you for reading and I'll be back with another one...real soon! ;)

xRayneBloodx


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